Health Center Offers Bacterial Meningitis Vaccine

Bacterial meningitis, a serious illness that affects the
brain and spinal cord coverings and can cause blood infections,
is
most common in the late winter and early spring months.

While anyone can get meningitis, college students residing
in dormitories are at particular risk due to the close contact
with others.

To curb the risk of contracting the illness, the SHSU Student
Health Center is offering a limited supply of the meningitis
vaccine immediately available to students at $70 per dose.

Meningitis is spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing,
and sharing drinks, food and cigarettes.

Early symptoms are flu-like, but the important difference
is a rapid onset of symptoms, including high fever, vomiting,
stiff neck, and confusion. If a person
experiences these symptoms they should seek immediate medical attention.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all incoming
freshmen residing in dormitories be inoculated with the meningitis vaccine,
which is very
safe and effective in preventing most strains of the infection. The protection
lasts for approximately three years.

For more information on the vaccine, call 936.294.1805, and for more information
about bacterial meningitis, visit the National Meningitis Association’s
Web site at www.nmaus.org.

Career Day To Draw Yearbook, Newspaper Students

Several hundred
budding journalism students from high school yearbook and
newspaper staffs throughout Southeast Texas
will visit the Lowman Student Center on Wednesday
(Nov. 17) for the annual Communication Career Day, sponsored by the mass communications
department.

The event, held from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., will introduce the students to the
Dan Rather Communications Building, through tours, as well as SHSU’s
student-run newspaper and television station, according to Kuyk Logan, holder
of the Warner
Endowed Chair in journalism.

“
There will be a variety of outside speakers to talk about different subjects,
broadcast, public relations, reporting, the whole field,” Logan said. “Each
student will be able to attend two lectures of their own choice.”

Speakers scheduled for the career day include: Brooke Adams, from KSAM radio;
SHSU alumnus Ray Sepeda, from Univision, who is also the production manager
for KXLN and KSTH television stations; Michael Graczyk, head of Associated
Press
in Houston; Dan Cunningham, assistant manager of sports for the Houston Chronicle;
Lauren Moore, from Goodwill industries; Brian Hill, from the Houston Zoo; Richard
Nira, photographer for the Huntsville Item; Micah Melder, from Ad2Houston;
Charlie Thorp, from Graphic and Design and Jim Fredricks, editor of the Conroe
Courier.

Logan said the event is held not only as a recruiting tool for the university
but to give the students an overview of journalism as a career.

“
These are students who are thinking about going on into some aspect of journalism,
and so they come here to not only get career advice from these speakers, but
also to see our building and talk to us,” he said.

A “very popular” event, the career day is coordinated by a committee
comprised of students, and last year’s career day had approximately 400
student visitors, Logan said.

Students To Receive ‘A Powerful Lesson’ On
DUI

Mark Sterner’s life changed drastically when three of his best
friends and fraternity brothers were killed in a drinking and driving car
crash
during a spring break.

The “least drunk” of his friends, Sterner was intoxicated after
a night of partying and ended up at the wheel of the car.

The next morning, three of the men were dead, and Sterner lay in the
hospital critically injured and facing three felony counts of manslaughter.
Instead
of being the first in his family to graduate college, he would be the
first to go
to prison.

Sterner, from the CAMPUSPEAK program, will share his story with the Sam
Houston State University community on Tuesday (Nov. 16), a lecture sponsored
by the
Student Health Center, the Office of Student Activities, the Interfraternity
Council,
the Department of Recreational Sports and the Alcohol Abuse Initiative.

The event, entitled “DUI: A Powerful Lesson,” will be held
from 6-7 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Theatre.

Turkey Trot To Raise
Food For
Mission

To take part in the event, participants predict how long it will
take him/her to walk/run the course. Afterwards, the person who
comes closest
to their
predicted time wins.

The winner will receive a full Thanksgiving Day feast, complete
with turkey and ham, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Student prizes
include:
a sweatshirt,
long-sleeved
T-shirt and other prizes.

Participants are asked to bring three non-perishable food items
or $1, which will benefit the Good Shepherd Mission.

“
Everyone wins because we know others in need have been given a helping hand,” said
Tina DeAses, assistant director for Wellness programs.

Anyone unable to participate at the event but would like to make
a food donation can do so at boxes throughout campus. The department
bringing
the most canned
food will receive 10-minute massages from a registered massage
therapist.

The deadline for pickup will be after the event.

For more information, call DeAses at 936.294.3658 or Andy Lemons
at 936.294.1929.

Alumnus To Address Breast Cancer on Thursday

SHSU alumnus
Frank Talamantes, a retired professor of endocrinology from
the department of molecular, cellular and developmental biology,
at the
University of California-Santa Cruz will discuss "What we
know and don't know about breast cancer" on Thursday (Nov.
18).

The lecture, to be held at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Drain Building Room
214, is part of the 2004 Distinguished Lecturer Series in the Biological
Sciences, sponsored
by the department.

Talamantes, who received his Master of Arts degree in biology in
1970 from SHSU, began teaching in 1974 at spent his entire career
at University
of
California-Santa Cruz.

Born in Los Angeles but raised in El Paso, Talamantes was named
to a three-year term as vice provost and dean of graduate studies
at UC-Santa
Cruz in 2000.

The prominent endocrinologist has received numerous awards and
honors for his scientific achievements, such as chairing a study
section
at the National
Institutes
of Health, serving as a past president of the Society for the Advancement
of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, being named a Fellow
of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science in 1989 and being selected
as one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" by Hispanic
Business Magazine in 1998.

As a researcher, Talamantes has done pioneering work on reproductive
hormones and the growth hormone receptor, including studying the
role of reproductive
hormones in breast cancer susceptibility.

For more information, call the department of biological sciences
at 936.294.1540.

Microsoft Van To Visit Huntsville

The Microsoft Corporation's traveling technology tour will
make a stop in Huntsville on Thursday (Nov. 11), hosted
by the Sam Houston
State
University
Small Business
Development Center and Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce.

The Microsoft Across America van usually stops in larger cities,
but will stop in Huntsville at 7:45 a.m. at the Golden Corral,
2050 11th
Street.

A short presentation on business security awareness issues will
kick off the event. Business representatives are invited for live
demonstrations
in
the
van and to see how their businesses can benefit from the latest
technology.

Those visiting the van will receive a free "eSecurity Guide for Small Business" produced
by Microsoft, Symantec, and the Association of Small Business Development
Centers.

Those wishing to attend the event should call the Huntsville-Walker
County Chamber at 936.295.8113 or the SBDC at 936.294.3737 to reserve
a slot.

Golden
Key Inducts
3 Honorary, 323 Members

Three honorary members and approximately
323 students were inducted into the Golden Key International
Honour Society on Oct. 21.
The ceremony was held at
6 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom.
Honorary members inducted include Bill Hyman, professor and
coordinator of health education; Mitchell Muehsam, dean of
graduate studies;
and Terri Harvey,
Testing
Center coordinator.

“
Honorary members are selected by each chapter to recognize faculty, administrators
and community leaders who have excelled in their research, teaching, profession
or service," said Bill Green, chair of the department
of economics and international business and Golden Key adviser.

"
Honorary members play an important role in each chapter by attending chapter
events, helping to sponsor trips to leadership conferences, talking to students
about Golden Key and acting as role models and mentors," Green
said.

Those selected as honorary members are first nominated by Golden
Key officers and members and are discussed with Green and Valerie
Muehsam,
the second
faculty adviser, before the nominees are asked to join the
organization, according
to Green.

“
Typically the officers nominations come from the faculty that have been one of
the members teachers that made an outstanding impression, or a staff member that
has been extremely helpful to students in staff responsibilities,” Green
said. “Others are chosen because of their leadership
positions and by being a role model for students.”

Eligibility requirements for Golden Key include having an undergraduate
classification of “junior” or higher; an overall
grade point average of 3.2 or higher; and SHSU residency, with
a minimum
of 25 of their
hours completed at
the university.

Participants To Climb Enchanted
Rock After Turkey Day

Students, faculty and staff will have the opportunity to
work off all the turkey and dressing they eat on Thanksgiving
Day with the Enchanted Rock
Climbing
Trip, sponsored by the SHSU Outdoor Recreation division of Recreational
Sports.

Participants will leave on Friday (Nov. 26) for a weekend
at Enchanted Rock, located approximately 17 miles north
of Fredericksburg and about an hour
and a half west of Austin.

“
Enchanted Rock is a granite playground for aspiring and experienced climbers
alike,” said Marvin Seale, associate director of Recreational Sports. “I
started my climbing career there over 12 years ago, and it's a great place
for teaching beginners and enjoying the Hill Country.”

The cost is $75 for students, $80 for staff and faculty, and $90 for
guests, which includes transportation, five meals, camping and climbing
gear, and “no
leftover turkey,” Seale said. In addition, participants will receive
guidance from Seale in case of uneasiness about safety.

Participants will be responsible for bringing personal items, such as
layered clothing in anticipation of weather conditions, toiletries, a
sheet and pillow,
hat, sunglasses, a camera, and for those riding with Seale from SHSU,
money will be needed in order to eat on the road Friday and Sunday nights.

The sign-up deadline and pre-trip meeting will be at 5 p.m. in Health
and Kinesiology Center Room 104.